The celebration of Cinco de Mayo commemorates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at the Battle of Puebla that took place on May 5, 1862, during the French intervention in Mexico.
When Mexico defaulted on its debts to many European countries, imperialist France saw an opportunity to establish a French-dependent empire out of the Mexican territories. French invasion sparked the Franco-Mexican War, during which the Battle of Puebla took place. During this battle, General Ignacio Zaragoza and the Mexican militia fortified and protected Puebla de Los Angeles despite being greatly outnumbered and unprepared. Considering the fact that the French claimed the city only a year later, the battle itself was not as pivotal to the outcome of the war as it was to rallying Mexican resistance to foreign invaders and support for the Mexican government. Experts also argue that the Mexican victory bolstered civic participation in the American Civil War, as the success encouraged Latinos in America to join Union forces to counter the Confederate Army.
Today, the day is marked by parades, reenactments, speeches, and parties in both Mexico and the United States. As counterintuitive as it may be, celebrations are grander and more widespread in the United States than in Mexico itself. There, the celebrations are most concentrated in the state where the battle originally occurred and while it is nationally recognized, it is not considered a national holiday. In 20th century America, Cinco de Mayo started as a way to encourage and celebrate the heritage of the Mexican immigrants. However, somewhere in time, the holiday gained a commercial facet when it became socially linked with extravagant parties and Mexican alcoholic beverages. Consequently, American cities like Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles, host enormous ethnic festivals that are considered some of the largest celebrations of this holiday in the world.